Police Officer in Stable Condition After on Duty Collision

A Manhattan Beach police officer is reportedly in stable condition after his involvement in a collision on Sepulveda Boulevard near Ninth Street Wednesday night, said Andy Harrod, MB police lieutenant.

The two-vehicle collision has closed Sepulveda from Manhattan Beach Boulevard to Eighth Street. On scene, Harrod said the road would remain closed as long as needed "to perform an investigation to see what occurred." He told Manhattan Beach Patch that the El Segundo police department would handle the investigation.

Scattered debris from the wreckage was strewn across Sepulveda near the police car, which ended up curbside in front of a hotel. An SUV believed to have been involved in the collision rested next to the center median near Tenth Street.

Three area residents reported hearing a loud sound, then rushing to Sepulveda to see what had taken place.

"It was intense," said Michael Cruz, who lives nearby. "They [police officers aided by a helicopter] literally escorted him [the injured officer] down Manhattan Beach Boulevard and on the freeway." Cruz said officers from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach appeared on scene within seconds of the collision. "The officers were jamming and people scatttering."

Cruz said the helicopter escort was "telling cops where to position their cars so that they could escort and take care of their fellow officer."

Rick Alves, an MB resident who was working at , said he saw the other driver climb out of the rear passenger door on the driver's side and "immediately" walk toward the officer and his car.

"She seemed coherent but definitely shaken," he said of the driver. Since her vehicle ended up closer to the ice cream store than did the officer's, Alves, who wants to be an emergency medical technician, said he went to see if he could help. He said he saw a car seat in the back seat but "luckily there wasn't a baby, there weren't any children" inside.

Harrod said that the female driver was transported to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, which is where the officer was taken, for precautionary measures and is reported to have minor injuries.

The MB police officer involved in the collision was traveling northbound on Sepulveda Boulevard, responding to a "priority one" call, which means "you need to get there post haste," said Harrod. Details beyond that were not yet available, with Harrod characterizing the investigation as "still unfolding." 

(Updated 8:50 a.m.) Correction: The collision happened Wednesday around 10:59 p.m. and not Monday night as was previously reported.